Means to support relatively delicate cathode ray tubes and to prevent their breakage upon shock impact have been much sought in the past. Some prior art devices for shock supporting cathode ray tubes such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,612 provide support along the entire length of the cathode ray tube or at least along the entire length of the relatively narrow neck portion of the tube. Such devices suffer the disadvantage of being relatively expensive to fabricate and make it difficult to service the cathode ray tube assembly, since a substantial portion of the tube itself is enveloped within the mounting means. These mounting means also suffer from another disadvantage in that any flexing, whatsoever, in the supporting means itself creates a force on the neck of the cathode ray tube and may cause breakage, especially at the point where the neck of the cathode ray tube meets the flaired or frustum portion.
Other prior art approaches which are less enveloping normally do not provide adequate shock protection in all three axes of the cathode ray tube. That is, prior art tube supporting devices not constructed in the enveloping manner may provide shock support for forces substantially orthogonal to the cathode ray tube's major axis but are generally insufficient in providing shock support for forces which are substantially parallel to the cathode ray tube's major axis and especially to forces striking the cathode ray tube substantially parallel to its major axis from the rear or neck end of the cathode ray tube. Typical of these devices are U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,345 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,428,928.